Imagine your life as a tree.
Is it a strong, sturdy oak? A flexible, wispy willow or something entirely different?
Take a look at your life tree. Is it healthy and thriving or is it’s energy being drained by dead wood that is weighing it down?
My life tree is an unusual one. You may not have heard of it. In fact it is the Tree of Life. The Thuja. I didn’t always know what my life tree was. I had thought it was a Willow.
A few years ago there was a large tree in my front garden that had been severely neglected by the former owners. It was dark green on the outside but inside it was a dense mass of dead, brown needles. It was acting as a barrier blocking the free flow of energy to my house. It needed painstaking pruning or to be cut down.
After careful research I identified it as a Thuja – the Tree of Life. Knowing this, cutting it down was not an option.
I immediately felt an affinity with this tree. Caring for it became a labour of love. I spent my evenings thinning out the lower branches and disappearing inside it to strip away the dead needles. Within days new shoots began to appear.
Over a period of two weeks it transformed from a shapeless, dark green mass into an elegant, twin trunked tree with long slender branches, tipped with soft, green feathery fronds.
Thuja is a remedy given to those who have shut themselves away from life or who have difficulty expressing themselves and this resonated with me.
I had reached a crossroads in my life. My 21-year marriage had come of age and run its natural course. I had bought a house and garden in need of a lot of work. I had channeled all my love and energy into creating a beautiful new home for my son and me. In so doing I had taken myself out of circulation.
Ironically during the process of pruning my tree, neighbours would pass by and call out, “You can’t hide Cheryl. We know you are in there”.
I had no idea the impact transforming my tree would have on my life. As my tree flourished with a new lease of life, my own energy and vitality improved and a whole new world opened up for me.
For a tree to be healthy it needs to be pruned regularly, to cut away the deadwood, to make room for new growth.
Does your life tree have dead wood that is holding you back?
It may be outdated ideas or beliefs, toxic relationships or friends who are “drains” rather than “radiators” – people who sap you of energy rather than energise and uplift you.
Your external world can be a reflection of your internal world. Do you have a garden, loft, garage or other space that needs clearing?
Is your clutter affecting your life? By clutter I mean anything that is no longer in use, useful or beautiful. The word clutter comes from the middle eastern word ‘clotter’ which means to coagulate or stick together.
Clutter attracts clutter and with it stagnant energy which can manifest in our bodies as low energy, lack of motivation and focus or at worse depression.
To allow new opportunities into our lives we need to let go of the old to make way for the new. The process of clearing clutter, whether it be in the mind, body or our living space, is all about letting go. Letting go of the fear that keeps you holding on to things long after it is time to move them on their way.
I mentioned earlier that the act of pruning my tree had had a significant impact on my life.
Within a month a good friend, one of life’s “radiators”, invited me to a Toastmaster’s Humorous Speech Contest. Inspired by the speakers I saw I joined Maidenhead Speakers Club and eighteen months later received the ribbon for Best Speaker of the evening in June 2015. I went on to receive many more.
I also joined a ladies acapella harmony group, The Reading Barberettes, with whom I competed in Spain in April 2015 and sang in the front row. My life is fun and I am no longer hiding away.
Are you living the life you want? Or are you holding yourself back? If so, now is as good a time as any to spring clean your life – ditch the deadwood and feel good. If you would like to know how I can help please call me on 07901 576846.